Practices and press conferences took on a sad tone around the NFL on Thursday following the death of Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry in a bizarre accident.

Henry died after falling from the back of a pickup truck driven by his fiancee in Charlotte, N.C. The injured player had been suspended numerous times, but team president Mike Brown said Henry was “running to daylight.”

Patriots cornerback Shawn Springs was with the Redskins in 2007 when fellow defensive back Sean Taylor was shot and killed in his home. He was asked to recall the club’s experience working through the tragedy.

“We were struggling, but I think it brought us closer together as a team,” Springs told reporters.